Nostalgic digital dreams at London’s Tate Modern, a festive light show in Amsterdam and one of the most absurd films you’ll see this year – here’s what’s cool in Europe this week.
ADVERTISEMENTIf there’s one benefit to dark days, it’s to experience the warm glow of European light shows. Amsterdam takes place this week, while the Fête des Lumières (Festival of Lights) approaches in Lyon from December 5-8.
Moomin fans should head to Helsinki, where new exhibition at the Helsinki Art Museum celebrates the lesser-known works of legendary character creator Tove Jansson, while for a rather different atmosphere there’s the chance to see a rare portrait by Caravaggio in the Roman gallery Palazzo Barberini.
And Christmas markets are everywhere! Including Berlin Annual LGBTQ+ one that sells queer-themed sweaters, mulled wine, and live performances.
In theaters, Disney’s story of island adventures and origins, Moana 2, is out now as the World War II drama from Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen Blitz coming out on Apple TV+.
Until next week, stay warm, festive and have fun.
Exhibitions
Electric Dreams: Art and Technology before the Internet at Tate Modern (London, UK)
There’s something familiar and limited about vintage digital art, its colorful blocks and swirls that are recognizable but represent a more complex feeling: a longing for a time and place that don’t really exist. A major new exhibition at London’s Tate Modern celebrates the early innovators of programmed and digital art, bringing together more than 70 artists who worked from the 1950s to the dawn of the internet age to create and encourage their art forms through science. Over 150 works were exhibited, many of which were shown for the first time in Great Britain. These include the well-known Electric Dress (1957) by Japanese artist Atsuko Tanaka of the Gutai group and her circuit-like drawings, British artist Suzanne Treister’s series of transparent images of fictional video games from the early 1990s, and German artist Otto Piene’s (Jena) Light Room (2005/ 2017), which surrounds the audience with a continuous light ‘ballet’. Enchanting, captivating and educational, ‘Electric Dreams’ highlights a key part of art history and those who led it, paving the way for developments such as virtual reality. Until June 1, 2025 and in partnership with Gucci.
Philip Colbert The Battle of Lobsteropolis at the Saatchi Gallery (London, UK)
Pop artist Philip Colbert developed an alter ego as a child: a lobster. U our interview with himsaid: “Growing up in Scotland, I was very far away from Walt Disney and the American pop world. And so my imagination took over. Going to the beach was my equivalent of going to Walt Disney, and the lobster was just that alien-like creature that really captured my imagination.” Indeed, lobsters have become a staple in Colbert’s works, inspiring his hyperpop worlds teeming with fervor and fun. It returns to London’s Saatchi Gallery with a focus on large-scale paintings and sculptures, as Colbert’s clawed character embarks on a journey through time and confronts artificial intelligence (AI) in the process with striking reimagined battle scenes. Infusing nostalgia and dystopia, Colbert takes on the conflicts and tensions created by advances in AI – especially for those within the creative industries. Open from November 29 – January 13.
Events
‘The Gingerbread City 2024: Recycled City’ (London, UK)
December is almost here, and do you know what that means? Gingerbread. But not only the auctioneer’s men – they have enough attention – gingerbread houses. If you’ve ever sat down on a cold winter’s evening with a little gingerbread wall kit, frosting and sweets, you’ll know how enjoyable (and surprisingly crafty) construction can be. So what about some of the world’s leading architects and designers? This is the premise behind London’s annual ‘The Gingerbread City’, now in its eighth year organized by the Architecture Museum. What results can only be described as pure Christmas magic, with over 25 fantastic and finely detailed gingerbread structures creating the impression of a warmly lit fairytale village, the smell of spices in the air. It’s not quite a holiday getaway either, with each event centered around a theme. This year it is ‘recycling’ and is dedicated to encouraging influential discussions on environmental issues. Run, run, as fast as you can!
‘Amsterdam Light Festival’ (Netherlands)
Amsterdam’s annual light festival is a magical spectacle to behold, the canal belt decorated with colorful silhouettes of light bulbs, while large light installations paint the water with colour. It’s best experienced on a canal cruise or you can take a guided walking tour, but anyone is free to enjoy wandering around the city. There are a total of 25 eye-popping light installations created by international and local artists, and are on display from 5pm to 11pm every day until January 19. To reveal the creepy old slang, it’s lit (really).
Movies
Rumors
Giant brains, self-indulgent corpses and a bunch of endlessly incompetent world leaders – prepare to enter a world of utter absurdity with this silly but entertaining new satire. Written and directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson, a group of presidents and prime ministers from the world’s richest democracies meet at the G7 summit, led by German Chancellor Hilda Ortmann (Cate Blanchett), to draft a joint statement on an unspecified global crisis. One small hiccup: the apocalypse actually starts during this and things turn very strange. Other cast members include Charles Dance as US President Edison Wolcott, Denis Ménochet as French President Sylvain Broulez and Nikki Amuka-Bird as British Prime Minister Cardosa Dewindt. Read our full review here.
ADVERTISEMENTMoana 2
We know the way.. to theaters this weekend, with the release of Disney’s sequel to their 2016 hit. Moana. Its soundtrack, composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, remains one of the studio’s most popular of the past decade. Unfortunately, the Hamilton– the creator did not return this time, but most of our favorite characters are Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) who travels to locate her ancestors on the remote islands of Oceania, with the task of reuniting their people – but faces many obstacles along the way. Just try to resist singing along to it – especially if you follow all the news about people being cursed for doing it in Wicked. It’s also making waves Rumors (no, not the Fleetwood Mac album). This delightfully absurd horror comedy follows a group of hilariously inept world leaders who gather for a G7 summit in rural Germany. With Cate Blanchett and Charles Dance leading the cast, the film premiered at Cannes earlier this year and opens in Europe in the UK and Ireland on December 6.
Television
Madness (Netflix)
Suspenseful and timely, this new Netflix thriller series follows an ambitious and outspoken CNN political pundit Muncie Daniels (Colman Domingo) on the verge of a promotion when he discovers a gruesomely murdered body in the woods. This body is actually the body of the leader of the white race. When Daniels reports it, the corrupt authorities suddenly turn on him, revealing the racism and real danger at the heart of many of the powerful institutions meant to govern and protect us — and mirroring the very real happenings and fears of black Americans following the re-election of Donald Trump.
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Kendrick Lamar: ‘GNX’
Acclaimed US rapper Kendrick Lamar surprisingly dropped his latest album ‘GNX’ last week (November 22) to the delight of his fans and critical acclaim – even if diss-track battle between Lamar and Canadian rapper Drake stole much of the spotlight. It is his shortest studio release to date and follows ‘Mr. Morale and big steps. Writing about ‘GNX’, Jonny Walfisz of Euronews Culture called it Lamar’s “clearest and most immediate album”, adding, “there’s little ambiguity here around the intense beats and his lyricism. Stylistically, there’s a lot to like as Lamar embarks on neck.” Read his full review here.
